Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Renee Downing, Founder of Yoga Hohm, located in Delavan, WI, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I have a few businesses. My main one is running my fitness studio, Yoga Hohm. I teach public group classes and private classes and lessons. I also have personal training clients whose sessions involve resistance training for optimal function. My students and clients range in age from 3-80, but the average age I work with tends to be around 40-60. The people I help are eager to learn and often in need of some amount of motivation or accountability from a professional like me. I also manage 2 commercial and rental buildings and have a side business selling my art called Spirit Dichotomy.
Tell us about yourself
What first motivated me to become a personal trainer was my struggle with fibromyalgia. I was diagnosed at a very young age and was basically forced by my body to take better care of myself. I had zero self-care prior. The more I learned about the body and all its ailments, the more obsessed I became with sharing what I learned with others. I became a personal trainer in 2001. Yoga came into the picture in 2009 when I first got sober. I was working in a spiritual program but wanted more. This led me to yoga, which, for me, was most important about the philosophy and very little about the poses. Yoga philosophy applied to physical exercise was the missing element to my overall well-being. I started teaching yoga to my personal training clients and became a registered instructor in 2011. At the time, I had been living in Southern California, 2000 miles away from family. The death of a close family member made me hyper-aware of my parents' mortality, and I started planning a move back home to Wisconsin (hence the name Yoga Hohm). At first, I wanted to open an overall fitness center but later decided to focus solely on yoga. I opened Yoga Hohm in 2015, sticking only with teaching yoga classes, workshops, training, and other students to teach. When COVID hit, and I was forced to close my studio down for 3 months, I had to start diversifying my offerings. This was when I brought personal training back into the services I offer.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Honestly, at this moment in my life, I would say that my biggest accomplishment as a business owner is to no longer base all of my self-worth on my business.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
For me, one of the hardest things about being a business owner is not being able to pay myself.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Research your demographic.
- Create a business plan.
- Prepare to age very quickly.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.yogahohm.com/
Instagram (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/reneedowndog/
Instagram (Yoga): https://www.instagram.com/yoga_hohm/
Instagram (Art): https://www.instagram.com/spiritdichotomy/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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